Examen Template

Examen Template

Purpose

An Obsidian-ready template for logging your daily Evening Examen practice. Logging is optional—the practice itself is complete without documentation. Use this template only if tracking helps your consistency or provides useful pattern recognition over time.

Template (Copy/Paste)

---
type: examen
version: v0.1
date: 
time: 
fruit_score: 
tripwire: 
ssns_done: 
stop_condition_met: 
tags: [AngelicAlignment, Examen]
---

# Examen — 

## Gratitude (30–60s)
- 

## Aligned moment (60–90s)
- 

## Drift moment (60–90s)
- 

## Motive (name it plainly)
- (fear / pride / avoidance / fatigue / resentment / confusion / other):  
- 

## Repair / amendment (small + respectful)
- 

## Tomorrow's SSNS (2–10 minutes)
- 

## Stop condition (what "done" means)
- 

## Anti-vanity clause
If nobody praises this, it still counts.

## Notes (optional)
- 

## Rule of Fruit (optional quick score)
Rate 0–2 each (total /12): Truth __ Humility __ Compassion __ Steadiness __ Responsibility __ Harmlessness __
Total: __/12

Field Explanations

Metadata Fields

type: Always examen for this practice
version: Current template version (v0.1)
date/time: Auto-populated if using Obsidian templates
fruit_score: Optional total from Rule of Fruit scoring (0-12)
tripwire: Note any drift signals detected (urgency, mission inflation, etc.)
ssns_done: Yes/No - did you complete the SSNS you planned?
stop_condition_met: Yes/No - did you stop when you said you would?
tags: For filtering and searching logs

Core Fields

Gratitude: One concrete, ordinary thing from today
Aligned moment: Where you acted according to your values
Drift moment: Where you departed from values (behavioral, not identity)
Motive: The feeling/need underneath the drift
Repair: One small, respectful action to make it right
Tomorrow’s SSNS: The smallest safe next step (2-10 minutes)
Stop condition: How you’ll know you’re done with the SSNS
Anti-vanity clause: Reminder that completion matters, not praise

Optional Fields

Notes: Any additional observations or context
Rule of Fruit: Quick scoring on six virtues (0-2 each, max 12)

  • Truth: Did I name reality plainly today?
  • Humility: Did I resist superiority narratives?
  • Compassion: Did I care for others with appropriate boundaries?
  • Steadiness: Did I stay consistent and reliable?
  • Responsibility: Did I do what I said I would?
  • Harmlessness: Did I avoid exploitation and manipulation?

When to Use This Template

Use logging when:

  • You want to track patterns over weeks/months
  • Accountability helps your consistency
  • You’re testing whether a practice works for you
  • Your therapist requests documentation

Skip logging when:

  • It feels like a burden rather than support
  • You’re in an unstable period (logging can increase rumination)
  • The practice itself is more important than the record
  • Perfectionism starts creeping in (“I must log perfectly”)

Remember: The practice matters, not the log. If logging becomes an obstacle, drop it.

Pattern Recognition Over Time

After 2-4 weeks of logging, review your entries for:

Drift patterns:

  • Do certain situations trigger drift consistently?
  • Are specific motives (fear, fatigue, etc.) recurring?
  • Do you tend to skip certain repair actions?

Alignment patterns:

  • Which virtues do you practice most naturally?
  • Which need more attention?
  • Are your SSNS realistic or too ambitious?

Fruit scoring trends:

  • Which areas show improvement over time?
  • Which remain stuck?
  • Does any area consistently score 0?

Adjustments based on patterns:

  • If fatigue drives most drift → focus on rest/boundaries
  • If certain repairs never happen → make them smaller
  • If SSNS consistently undone → reduce scope further
  • If fruit scores flatline → check if goals are realistic

Integration with Other Practices

This template works alongside:

Suggested workflow:

  1. Do Evening Examen (5 minutes, no logging)
  2. If helpful, copy template and fill it out (2-3 minutes)
  3. File in your practice log folder
  4. Weekly: Review logs briefly (5 minutes)
  5. Monthly: Look for patterns (10-15 minutes)

Obsidian Setup (Optional)

If using Obsidian:

  1. Create template file in your templates folder
  2. Set up keyboard shortcut for inserting template
  3. Create a Practices/Examen folder for logs
  4. Use Dataview plugin to track patterns (optional)

Example Dataview query for completion rate:

TABLE ssns_done, fruit_score
FROM "Practices/Examen"
WHERE type = "examen"
SORT date DESC
LIMIT 30

Version: 0.1
Created: January 2025
Status: Active template

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